𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞; 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧

𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧; 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞

Song: Don't You Want Me by The Human League

Warnings: 16+!!! Mentions of sexual acts and strong language. 16+!!!

Two weeks had elapsed since Jo's unfortunate encounter with Jason. In an effort to shield herself from the rage triggered by Jason's presence at the station, she recklessly threw herself into her work. Jo even took on additional hours, knowing that keeping herself busy would leave her with less time to think about the men she associated with–men like Steve Harrington.

Jo never disclosed the details of the date to her father, assuming that sharing the whole situation would invite more drama than it was worth. Despite her working hard to avoid him, Jo kept the sweatshirt Steve gave to her that night. Not only was it the softest fabric she owned, but she also cherished the warm smile that spread across his face when he recognized it as his own.

Jo had been working diligently, her tired hands constantly cramping from typing in information while angry townspeople yelled at her through the phone. She mindlessly busied herself with whatever task Hopper could give her.

Suddenly, his voice cut through the air, jolting her awake from her open-eyed sleep state. "Jo, come to my office, please," Hopper called her name from his office, where he had been for hours, knee-deep in research about the Hawkins Killer.

Jo sauntered into Hopper's office, her eyelids drooping from the weight of her own exhaustion. "What do you need?" Seated across from his desk, her head hung low as she fought off the inevitable sleep she was in desperate need of.

"The guy killed three people over the weekend. Three different houses, three distinct demographics. He's all over the fucking town, Jo, he's leaving notes." Hopper paused, his hands emphasizing his words, exhaustedly. Then, he knew he had intrigued her when his daughter perked up at his words, rousing her from her previous fatigue.

"He's leaving notes? What do they say?" Jo inquired, her gaze fixed on her father as he massaged his temples to stave off a headache. He looked utterly defeated, drained by the increasing death toll and the elusive nature of the killer. Despite the station's extensive efforts, there was nothing anyone could do to find the man. The killer was calculated, he left no prints, no evidence–the man was invisible.

"Only one note so far. It said 'slut'." Hopper revealed with a shrug, laughing incredulously at the helpless situation. "He murdered an old lady, Jo. That note wasn't intended for her, it was meant for someone else. All of this is just so goddamn convoluted! We need to meet more often to discuss some kind of method of catching this guy. I can't let him take any more lives in my town." Jo nodded in agreement, recognizing his frustration and the urgency of the matter.

"I've decided that we will meet tomorrow to form a plan. Steve will be joining us for dinner and the three of us are going to come up with something." Hopper announced, his words caught Jo off guard. The idea of Steve being involved in their strategy made her heart flutter, yet also filled her with a sense of nervous anticipation. Seeing him at work was one thing, but having him come to her house? It was a whole different level of intimacy that she wasn't sure she was prepared to navigate.

The following day arrived swiftly, and Jo found herself waking up at the break of dawn again. Standing next to the kitchen counter, she made herself a small meal before heading to work. Normally, she would skip breakfast, but the long shifts made it difficult to stay energized. As she nodded off at the counter while waiting for the toaster, her father walked in, catching her in a sleepy daze.

"Why don't you just stay home today? You're falling asleep at work and I can't have that, not when we have a killer on the loose. You can come back to work tomorrow but I need you to stay home and get some rest. It'll give you some time to clean up for tonight." Hopper suggested, taking the coffee from her hand and setting it on the counter, ignoring Jo's frustrated expression. "Go back to bed and get some sleep before you collapse from exhaustion. Be ready for tonight." Jo's brows furrowed, attempting to rake through her brain, which was completely empty due to sleep deprivation, for the subject her father was talking about.